political perspectives from Joni Hudson-Reynolds, an African-American Mom

Toya Graham, “The Mother of the Year”, on The View

Toya Graham is the toast of the town. She is still being touted as the mother of the year. She is the mother that gave her son a very public beat down and the world is applauding her, but should they? If she did this same act on any other day she would have been arrested. Graham has been on CBS, CNN, NBC and ABC, but a year from now where will she and her son be?

Comments

And she didn’t “beat” her son. She smacked him “upside the head” in a way that caused no physical harm, but made him know she was serious. He could have thrown that rock in his hand, and been shot by a cop. No one is going to criticize her for what she did, she did what every mother would do.

You didn’t hear him complain to the local Children’s Services, did you?😉

Context? She gave that boy a beatdown which has gone viral. I am not questioning her motives or her love for her son, but this is hypocritical. We live in a world where a parent could give their child a smack on the bottom in a store and leave the store in handcuffs. She is being saluted because she plays into the narrative. She is the no nonsense single mother who “don’t take no stuff.” America salutes her but for this instance only.

Sure. You’ve basically confirmed that context is important. In the context of these riots, she’s justified, and a heroine. In any other context she wouldn’t. It’s not all black and white, there are shades of gray (and I’m not talking race)…..